confuse

verb

kən-ˈfyüz How to pronounce confuse (audio)
Definition of confusenext
1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

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2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confuse In both cases, the company noted how the two other marks cause consumers to be confused. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 Idahoans United said the statements are not concise and could confuse voters. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026 Rishi Naik of Vanderbilt University Medical Center worries users could confuse this data with cancer screening and skip real tests. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 The couple was initially confused, considering where the birdhouse had been left, but the confusion quickly gave way to laughter. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
  1. bewilder
  2. complicate
  3. mistake
  4. embarrass
  5. disrupt
  6. perplex
  7. blur
  8. fluster
Verb
  • That’s a common sentiment from a touring superstar, but there’s a sense that Kahan really might be as happily bewildered as the rest of us about how songs this personal and cloudy came to captivate even sunny California.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • Bond yields Persistent inflation, tariffs and whipsawing gas prices are not the only obstacles complicating the task for the Fed.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Beijing — Already harrowing rescue efforts along the China-Nepal border are being complicated by the risk of new flooding or landslides, with authorities in China and Nepal pausing rescue efforts Friday due to those fears.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicate
Verb
  • Many people mistake resilience for grit or simply pushing through.
    — Suzan J. Song, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Marcus mistook Sandra's reliability and competence for engagement.
    — Dr. Rick Ruperto, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.
    — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • Rendering examines how artificial intelligence is disrupting the entertainment industry, taking you inside key battlegrounds and spotlighting change-makers wielding the technology for good and ill.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In the scenario, critical infrastructure in the central Finnish city of Kuopio, including power and water, has been disrupted by cyberattacks and there’s the threat of missile strikes from Finland’s neighbor, Russia.
    — Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Others are perplexed at the meshing of fact (Wat Tyler and the Revolt) and fiction (Robin Hood).
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As crime units and crime tape surrounded the house, neighbors who knew the officer are perplexed.
    — Anna Meiler, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • As dark occurrences begin to shatter the quiet of their isolated home, the boy is forced to navigate a harrowing psychological nightmare where the line between real-world madness and supernatural terror blurs.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Here the view from an automobile traveling at speed blurs the landscape into a series of abstract forms—the way the world appears is changed by the velocity of technology, and so is your experience of it.
    — Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • If this were still the primary, Raman would have flustered her way to a non-answer.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Saliba is rarely flustered, so to see his game affected as much as it was made an impression.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of fluster

Browse Nearby Words

confronts
confuse
confused
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Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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